Another edition of the Big Blue kicks off Round 16 of the A-League season and we’re set for a phenomenal clash in Melbourne.
We’ve covered Melbourne Victory’s struggles over the last month and that run includes a 3-0 defeat just under a month ago where they lost Zinedine Macach to an early red card.
Last weekend’s defeat in Adelaide made it six matches without a win as their defence continued to go through a rough patch.
Meanwhile, Sydney was flying… until a shock 3-4 loss at home to the abysmal Brisbane Roar last weekend would have provided a real shock to the system.
Perhaps they were guilty of overlooking the Roar and having one eye on this match, but surely they don’t lose two in a row against this Victory side.
BEST: Sydney Win/Draw Double $1.67 | VALUE: Sydney HT/FT Double $4.60
Are the Nix back in business? We’ll find out in this trip to Christchurch.
Since Christmas, their results and performances have started to turn in the right direction and there was a lot to like about their Monday night win in Campbelltown in their most recent outing.
Not to mention the confidence of belting an out of sorts Mariners team 3-0 when they met in Gosford back in November.
Central Coast are starting to trend in the right direction results wise but I’m not quite ready to buy into that team just yet.
Take the Nix to pick up another three points as they try to close the gap on the top six.
BEST: Wellington to Win $2.65 | VALUE: Wellington to Win -1 Goal $5.25
The cavalry has come in Perth with the January transfer window bringing in a number of additions the Glory will be hoping can salvage their season.
Tomi Mrcela has already slotted in to their defensive setup and the likes of Lachie Wales and Patrick Wood should help bolster their attack.
While those signings are not going to suddenly turn them into title contenders, they will make them a more competitive side in matches like this.
For that reason alone the Glory look like good value to get something out of this match and backing them to get a point or all three is one of the better bets this weekend.
BEST: Perth Win/Draw Double $2.25 | VALUE: Perth Win $4.75
Saturday’s triple header wraps up with an intriguing clash between two sides that will be looking to bounce back from disappointing defeats last weekend.
Melbourne City’s unbeaten run came to a screeching halt in Auckland as the visitor’s depleted squad had no answers.
However it’s more than fair to put that down to a bad day at the office, while Macarthur has shown a few more signs of inconsistency.
The Bulls have lost two of their last three matches with both of those defeats coming at home.
Somewhat troublingly, they have not won a home match since Round 1, with two draws and four defeats since then (once of which was Unite Round).
Let’s take Melbourne City to win and produce a bounce back performance on the road.
BEST: Melbourne City to Win $2.60 | VALUE: Melbourne City to Win -1 Goal $4.80
Let’s keep this one nice and simple to wrap up the weekend’s matches, it’s a good time to be taking on the Wanderers, especially when they are playing a good team like Auckland.
Western Sydney has won just one of its last four and they are coming off a demoralising defeat against the struggling Mariners.
Meanwhile, Auckland does have a short turnaround from a midweek clash with Adelaide but on their day they are the much better team and should win this in a canter.
BEST: Auckland to Win $2.50 | VALUE: Auckland to Win -1 Goal $4.60
We’ve got another midweek A-League match coming up and it’s all set up for Western United to move up to third place on the ladder.
Not only have they won four of their last five games, John Aloisi’s men are playing some good football and they have had plenty of time to prepare for this one.
Their last outing was on January 17 while Central Coast will be travelling back from Saturday’s scoreless draw in Christchurch against the Nix.
Having that extra rest is undoubtedly going to play a role in how this game unfolds and all signs are pointing towards a Western United victory.
BEST: Western United to Win $1.85 | VALUE: Western United to Win and Under 2.5 Goals $4.80